1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a barrel system to be detachably connected to a paintball marker wherein the front or tip of the barrel system includes a taper and is manufactured with a plurality of unidirectional and/or woven (e.g., graphite) fibers embedded within an (e.g., epoxy) resin.
2. Background Art
The game of paintball is growing in popularity. Participants use pressurized gas paintball markers to propel paintballs down a barrel system and towards a target or each other. Because paintballs come in various sizes and shapes, and because paintballs are susceptible to the effects of temperature, humidity, and the like, it is known for a paintball marker to have either a continuous one-piece barrel system or a two-piece barrel system including an interchangeable breach that is mated to an interchangeable front to account for the different characteristics of the paintballs and/or to change the overall length of the barrel system.
Conventional barrel systems are commonly manufactured from metal (e.g., extruded bar stock or drilled from aluminum). As a consequence of the metallic barrel system, a paintball is subjected to high friction forces, particularly as it travels down a one-piece barrel system. Thus, the velocity at which the paintball exits the front of the barrel system is typically reduced. Moreover, the metallic barrel system may contain grooves or other imperfections that are introduced during machining which can sometimes impart a spin to the paintball that may alter its direction and adversely affect the aim of the player. Metallic one-piece barrel systems and two-piece barrel systems (at the front or the interface between the front and the breach) are known to include a step-wise taper to reduce pressure and improve accuracy. However, such a step-wise taper is very abrupt for a rapidly moving paintball. Thus, the paintball may experience turbulence as it exits the front of the barrel system giving the player less accuracy and control.
In other cases, certain one-piece barrel systems and the front of certain other two-piece barrel systems have been manufactured with a non-metallic woven mesh liner surrounding a hollow bore through which the paintball is propelled. The texture of the mesh liner may cause the fragile gelatin capsule around the paintball to rupture and thereby allow paint to be spilled along the bore. The texture of the mesh liner also makes it difficult to clean the breach and remove the paint from the bore thereof.
Accordingly, what would be desirable is an interchangeable barrel system for a paintball marker that is adapted to improve performance, accuracy and control, while enabling the bore to be easily cleaned in the event of paintball failure.
One example of a barrel system for a paintball marker having a metallic breach or back with a uniformly decreasing taper extending therealong is available by referring to U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,752 to Havlock.